I know Hay very well, having lived a few miles away at one point and Richard Booth, who once declared himself king of Hay as an independent kingdom, made the town what it is today.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/richard-booth-books-hay-on-wye-intl
But he did have a rival...
Collecting: Truce declared in the war of words: Hay-on-Wye is as full
Richard Booth appeared in his secondhand book warehouse in Hay-on-Wye looking slightly worn, wearing a three-day growth of stubble and a pullover with edges…
www.independent.co.uk
